


Chipped and Shattered

by mephone



Category: Inanimate Insanity (Web Series)
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-30
Updated: 2020-12-30
Packaged: 2021-03-10 20:20:55
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 1,965
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28433076
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/mephone/pseuds/mephone
Summary: Taco finds herself falling apart and resorts to a certain scientist for a bit of help.
Kudos: 10





	1. Chapter 1

Taco’s POV  
That Microphone quit on you. Not surprising, just disappointing. That Microphone was supposed to be my ticket to the prize, I was the one doing all the work, she should’ve been more appreciative. I don’t need her, I can find my own way. I’m smarter than all of them, it should be a breeze now that that vial vile is gone from the competition. That Knife guy, though. I’ll deal with him later. I’ve got experience and I’ve got a hold of that phone’s precious co-host. Just forget about Mic, she’s in the past now. Pssshh. “Is that what you said to Pickle?”; I would never do anything like that. I’m not here to manipulate, I’m here to help. I’m the brain, I just needed someone to act since I’m not allowed to. I’m going to find my way out of this. Though, I may need some help first.  
I picked at the pieces of myself fallen on the ground. That gem thing in the mine did some damage, worse than I thought. Teleporting may have worsened the effect. I can’t do anything without this shell chipping and cracking. It’s been hurting me to fix it, just making it worse. There’s only one way to fix this.  
Test Tube’s POV  
I rubbed at my eyes and yawned, this hotel had gotten boring fast. Though I wonder about my lab, can I still access it, even with it being located within the contestant grounds? Only one way to find out. It’s early, everyone is still asleep, convenient for me I guess. I went down to the lobby and approached the door. The door was cold, lacking use in a good while. I pushed it open.  
I was out. I was out of that place and nobody stopped me. A cold breeze blew against my side and made me shiver. I made my way towards where I knew contestant grounds was located. Trying my best not to be seen, I approached the site where the drink machine had previously been. There it was, my lab, untouched. I entered through the torn entrance of the slide, thankful to be in a room temperature area again. I grabbed my lab coat from where it rested and put it on, it was nice to be back.  
What I’m sure was a couple of hours had passed when I heard a noise from the corner of my lab. I saw a purple light then a large black rectangular object, MePad. I was in shock to see the missing co-host suddenly appear before my eyes. Though what really got me was that someone was with him. I froze up where I stood, I couldn’t move, I couldn’t speak. That was the one I could only assume was Taco. She was one of the finalists of season one, which I was not there for. She had been described as so great for the most part, but she didn’t look as great as I had imagined. Her hand rested on MePad’s home button as the Meeple logo lit up his screen. She was limping, her eyes were worryingly dark. She held her other hand over a side of her face which was drooping, seemingly crumbling. Once she recovered, her gaze immediately rose to match mine. Her expression didn’t match her condition. She glared at me with a serious look in her damaged eyes.


	2. Chapter 2

Taco’s POV  
Thank goodness that Test Tube was here. Get your shell fixed and get out of here. She looked shocked, you’d think a scientist would have been more calm in a situation like this. Then I realized, I used MePad’s teleportation to get here, she saw him. I recovered from my sudden state of weakness and steadied myself. She looked at me in disgust, not very professional if you ask me. I began to approach her but I stopped to boost myself up onto a table and cross my legs. I met her eye level and began to speak, but got cut off.  
“WHY IN THE WORLD DO YOU HAVE MEPAD? DO YOU KNOW HOW BADLY YOU’VE THROWN OFF THIS GAME?”  
Bingo. She was already yelling at me right off the bat. “Shut it, tube. I’m here for your help, fix me and never speak of anything that happened here, EVER.”  
“Oh golly gee, and why am I supposed to listen to a piece of british mexican food? You are barely the great taco I’ve heard all about, you’re falling apart, literally!” she chuckled with that angry expression staying on her face.  
More stubborn than I thought. “I’m way smarter than you may think, despite my condition, I’m capable of many things. You think some dumb ex-contestant would be able to hijack a co-host and harness his abilities? Yeah, I don’t think so. Work with me or you’ll never see the light of day, tube.”  
Test Tube’s POV  
Can’t believe she thought I was going to give in that easily, I’ve got a better plan. While she was rambling about her intellect, I grabbed a tranquilizer. Without hesitation, I aimed and she was down. While she was still in a state of unconsciousness, I quickly ran out of my lab. Find MePhone, tell him where his co-host has gone. That will be my key back into the game. Nobody trusts me anymore, but I’m going to turn that around. I ran to the elimination area, where I assume he would be. To my surprise there was no host here, but there were small yellow bits in his place. Tortilla bits. That Taco really is smarter than I thought, though dumb enough to not clean up her trail. I tried to return to my lab and thought I had succeeded unseen, but apparently not. I heard the sound of footsteps behind me. Without looking back, I sped up to enter the lab and finally got down here. Though, I wasn’t alone. I heard glass clinking through the slide and there stood Lightbulb. Her eyes widened as she looked behind me. I turned and I saw that the Taco left MePad right here in my lab. I could surely explain this to Lightbulb right? Right! She’s my friend, after all. She’s quite smart despite her childish actions throughout the season. And of course, she began screaming.  
I ran to cover her mouth and explain. “Crazy to stumble into you here Lightbulb, isn’t it pal. Listen. This is very much not what you think it is. And no, he is not dead.” That should do the job. I removed my hand from her mouth.  
“No- You- I’m sorry Testy.” Her eyes set to match mine, just for a second. For a second it looked like she understood, like she was here to help, then I saw tears well up in her eyes as she quickly turned around and ran towards the exit.  
It’s too late. She’s going to tell them. I made no attempt to stop her, there’s no more trust to lose any more at this point anyways. I collapsed against the wall in defeat, cupping my face in my hands. Before I knew it, I was asleep.


	3. Chapter 3

Taco’s POV  
I woke up quite quickly and realized that vile vial had tranquilized me. Lucky for me, she hit a broken piece of my shell. I quickly got up and started to search the lab for anything useful. If the tube won’t fix my, I know someone who has the ability to, just another device to capture, after all. I grunted in pain from the sudden movements, but that didn’t stop me. Unexpected but useful, I found a large magnet. Electronics don’t do too well with magnets, I should have him out in a jiffy. I smirked and tucked it away. I started walking towards MePad, then I realized if I bring him near that host, he’ll find out I did it. I decided to leave him there and walk my way there, if anyone else stumbles upon him, that worry will be out of the way. I knew my way around these grounds better than anybody, so I should be able to beat her to MePhone, assuming she’s going there to clean her image.  
In no time, I made my way to the elimination area, where as expected, MePhone4 was sitting on the ledge of the stage. I threw in a piece of metal as a distraction and a way to lure him over. Everything is going according to plan. He’s approaching where I had thrown some scrap metal and once he was near, I came around the corner and struck him with a magnet, knocking him down. Left a not-so-pretty crack on his back, perfect. I put one leg on his back and held the magnet against his back till he fell limp. I heard grass shuffling, I had to get out of there, NOW. I gripped both hands around his wrists and dragged him to a nearby bush. These generation powers should make my shell good as new, then I’ll be back on track.  
Test Tube’s POV  
I woke up to see bright ceiling lights and squinted. I looked up and saw one of the last things I wanted to see. OJ was standing over me, arms crossing with a disappointed look on his face.  
“WHAT WERE YOU THINKING? You are very lucky I’m allowing you back in my hotel right now young lady, but I have to based on my and MePhone’s agreement. You will be judged heavily. Now go, I don’t want you in my sight.” He turned and walked away towards his office.  
Everyone was standing in the hallway, glaring at me. I limped down the hall towards my room, suddenly feeling weak.  
It was early in the morning again. I wonder if I can get away with this again. I have to find that taco. I made sure my footsteps were hushed as I left the hotel once again. This would be so much easier if she wasn’t such a jeebweezer. I decided I’d check the most untouched place of this game, the Perilous Forest. It was very quiet as I made my way through, until I heard panicked sobs. Bingo.  
Taco’s POV  
“No, no, this can’t be right!” I squinted at MePhone’s corrupted green generation screen through my tears. This was my last chance. And I failed myself. I’m going to be left here to die, I doubt I’m on that MeLife app anymore.  
This was supposed to fix me. I’m going to be left here to die. And I’m stuck here with a nonfunctional host to tell everyone once I’m gone, if anyone ever finds us, that is. I’ve started to lose sight in my right eye as the crack reached across my face. Great. More pain as I sit here to rot. No. I have to be stronger than this. I’ve never given in before, and I won’t now. I’m going to figure out this phone and I’m going to live. I prepare myself to move as I continue, though I would not like to admit, sobbing. Footsteps. I see light reflecting off of glass as someone approaches. Test Tube.  
Her gaze fell on me. She began to speak, but before I knew it, I heard.  
Clink.  
Clink.  
Clink.  
Crash.  
I looked down to see a weapon in my hand. I fired at her. I fired at her and I don’t know why. At least that shows that I’ve still got some strength. She’s dead. She was the only one who could’ve saved me at this point and I killed her again. I heard something behind me, another one to see how weak I’ve become.  
“You never change, do you Taco?” She said smugly, with a stern expression on her face.


End file.
